Cosmic cannibalism: Astronomers discover 'twin' stars that eat planets
- The solar system housing Earth and its fellow planet has shown remarkable stability throughout its 4.5 billion-year
Stars Gone Wild: Devouring Planets in Their Prime
- Scientists studying twin stars, thought to be identical, found a surprising number with lopsided chemical makeup.
- This suggests one of the stars may have gobbled up planets or planetary building blocks!
- Normally, twin stars share the same chemical fingerprint because they form from the same cosmic dust cloud.
- But in roughly 8% of 91 pairs examined, one star showed higher levels of elements like iron, nickel, and titanium - hints of a devoured rocky world.
- These feasting stars were surprisingly young and healthy, not nearing the end of their lives like our future red giant Sun.
- The culprit behind this "cosmic cannibalism" could be a gravitational nudge from a larger planet or a passing star, throwing a hapless planet into its hungry star's path.
- This discovery suggests planetary systems are more chaotic than previously thought, with planets potentially getting tossed out or swallowed whole.
- With more homeless planets out there than expected, the hunt for these cosmic refugees might become a new frontier in astronomy!
Prelims Takeaway
- Twin stars